Sectional top folding table adapted to stand in folded position



Aug. 19, 1952 HOWE SECTIONAL TOP FOLDING TABLE ADAPTED T0 STAND IN FOLDED POSITION Filed July 19, 1948 4 I64 INVENTOR 45112040 1%:

Patented Aug. 19, 1952 I SECTIONAL TOP FOLDING TABLE ADAPTED TO STAND IN FOLDED POSITION Harold Howe, Rowayton, Conn, assignor to Howe Folding Furniture, Inc., New York, N. Y.,'a corporation of New York Application July 19, 1948, Serial No. 39,474

This invention relates to folding tables of the kind'having a divided foldable top. Prior art tables of this kind are made either, with legs which are parallel when the top halves are collapsed and initiate opening of the top halves immediately when separated, or with legs which cannot be folded into parallel planes even when the top halves are fully collapsed but remain angularly related and thus render it impossible to fold the table flat. Thus the prior art tables either cannot be completely collapsed and folded flat, as for shipping; or if they can be folded fiat they cannot-have their legs spread apart enough to stand-by themselves without initiating unfolding of the top'halves. This is a deficiency in the prior art as it is 'often desirable to have a table which may be folded flat and the legs of which maybe unfolded from abutting parallel relation sufficiently to permit the table to stand alone and without opening or initiating opening of the top halves.

An object of the invention is to overcome the deficiency of the prior art anci provide a folding divided-top table which is adapted to stand on its own support means both when the top is unfolded and when it is collapsed, and also to fold flat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible table having a folding top the top parts of which open with the legs after the legs have been spread apart a distance suflicient to support the structure with the top parts in folded position.

'Other'objects of the invention will be in part obviousor in part pointed out hereinaften.

The'invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and in the several steps and relation and order of each of said steps to one or more of the others thereof, all as will be pointed out in the following description, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a table embodying the invention with the top halves and the support means therefor in fully folded position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the table with its legs spread apart sufiiciently to support the structure but with the top parts substantially unfolded;

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the fully folded table;

3 Claims. (01 311 92) Figure 4 is a side elevation of the table in unfolded position, with means added for locking the table in unfolded position; and

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Figures 1'3.

The term bracket or brackets is used herein in a broad sense toindicate means including cross pieces, braces and the like by which the pivots interconnecting the braces with the table top parts are projected toward one another and spaced from the under surface of the table top parts respectively, and by which the pivot points joining the braces to the legs or supporting means respectively are projected inwardly toward one another and spaced from said legs or supporting means.

The table top is divided into two parts Ill and N joined together by hinge means [2 which permits the top parts to be folded from abutting relation, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 to a position in which theylie in adjacent parallel planes, as illustrated in Figures 1-3.

On the inner surfaces of the top parts respectively are the battens 14*, M and 16 16 to which the support means are attached. The support means for the top half Ill comprises legs 18 and '20 and the interconnecting web 22. Thesupport means for top half Ill! comprises legs 24 and 26 and the interconnecting web 28. The

upper ends of legs ['8 and 20 are connected by pivots 30 and 32 to the battens 14 and M respectively on the top half [0 The upper ends of legs 24 and 26 are connected by pivots 34 and 35 to the battens I 6 and I 6 respectively on top half Ill Projecting from the under surface of the top parts Hi and Ill respectively are brackets 38 and 40,;and projecting inwardly from the webs 22 and 28 respectively are the brackets 42 and 44. A brace member A6 is connected at one end to bracket 42 on web 22 by pivot 48, and at its other end to bracket 40 on top half [O by pivot 50, and a second brace is connected. at one end to bracket 44 on web 22 by pivot 54 and at its other end to bracket 38 by pivot 56. Thus each brace member extends from a top half across the hinge line to the support means for the other top half.

The brackets 38 and 40 are devised and p0sitioned. so that the pivot connections 56 and 50 between the top halves l0 and l respectively and the brace members 46 and 52 lie in substantially the same vertical plane when the table is in fully folded position. This disposition of the pivots for the tops of the brace members makes it possible to initiate unfolding of the ,cessfully achieved with practical advantages.

various possible embodiments might be made of pairs of legs comprising the support means for the respective table top halves, as for example from the position shown in Figure l to the position shown in Figure 2, and to move the support means far enough apart to support the table in upright position without unfolding of the top parts from their folded. substantially parallel position.-

Preferably brackets 52 and 44 are positioned so that the pivot connections 48 and 54 between the webs 22 and 28 of the support means respectively and the brace members 46 and 52 lie in substantially the same vertical plane when the table is What I claim is:

l. A folding table comprising a top divided into two parts and hinge means joining said parts together so they can be moved from abutting relation into adjacent parallel planes, supporting means for said table top parts respectively, and braces interconnecting each table top part with the supporting means for the opposite table top part, said brace means being pivotally connected to said supporting means respectively, brackets projecting from the under surface of said table fully folded to facilitate unfolding of the legs sufiiciently to support the table with the-top parts unfolded and in parallel planes.

I have found that with either pivot connections 56 and 59 or 48 and 54 disposed so as to be substantially in the same vertical plane when the table is folded the support means for the re-,

spective table top halves may be moved apart sufficiently to support the table in upright posi tion with the top halves retained in their folded, substantially parallel position. However, this is accomplished most effectively when the pivots 56 and 50 are quite accurately aligned'in the same vertical plane when the structure is folded, and with the pivots 48 and 54 substantially aligned but slightly spaced apart.

In Figure 4 the braces 46 and 52 are shown interconnected by the links 99 and 62 which are joined to the brace members by pivots 6 and 65 respectively and interconnected by pivot 68. A stop in is provided on one of the links limiting the movement of the links upward slightly beyond the position of alignment, thus. providing a lock against accidental collapsing of the table.

The'table disclosed herein has the advantage that it does not have to be removed from its place of use and stored away when the top halves'are collapsed but will remain standing. The space in a room may be conserved and at the same time the table may remain conveniently on handand supported on its own support means. For shipping however'the legs may be folded close together thus conserving space and eliminating breakage which o'ccurs'if tables are packed with the legs for the respective top halves unfoldable beyond a position in which they will support the a vided by this invention a table structure in which the various objects hereinabove set forth are suctop parts, and pivots interconnecting said brackets and said braces respectively, said pivots being disposed so that when the table is folded the pivots will be substantially aligned laterally of the table and therefore in substantially the same vertical plane.

2. The structure as specified in claim 1, in which brackets are provided inwardly from said supporting means respectively, in opposed relation, and the pivots interconnecting said brace means and said supporting means are provided in said brackets respectively, and spaced from the supporting means so that when the table is fully collapsed the said pivots will be substantially aligned laterally of the table so that they lie substantially in the same vertical plane. 7

3. A folding table comprising a top divided into two parts and hinge meansijoining said parts together so that they can be moved from abutting relation in a single horizontal plane into adjacent parallel planes, supporting means hinged to said top parts respectively, brace members interconnecting each top part to the supporting means for the opposite top part, pivotal connections between said brace members and said table top parts respectively, and meansfor mounting said pivots so that when the table is folded said pivotswili lie substantially in the same vertical plane, pivotal connections between the other ends of said brace members and said supporting means respectively, and means for supporting said pivots in spaced relation to said supporting means so that when the table is collapsed said pivots will lie insubstantially the same vertical plane.

' HAROLD HOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 161,123 'Howland Mar. 23, 1875 a 587,518 Bartelle Aug. 3,1897

1,762,580 Monk June 10, 1930 1,890,710 Williams Decg13, 1932 1,930,176 Metzler Oct. 10, 1933 2,326,461 Howe Aug. 10, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 361,367 Italy .July 20, 1938 

